Victorian racing will on Saturday celebrate the career of former jockey Michael Walker, who officially retired from race riding in February due to the ongoing effects of a brain injury.
Walker said on Thursday that, despite a recent family bereavement, he and partner Lauren and his young family will be present at Caulfield to mark a career that, while ended prematurely, produced any number of highlights both here and in his early days in his native New Zealand.
Caulfield is a fitting scene for the tribute to the 25-time Group 1 winner as many of his biggest conquests were at the track, from his 2015 Caulfield Stakes win on Criterion through his 2017 Caulfield Guineas upset on Mighty Boss to 2020 when he rode Tagaloa to win the Blue Diamond and Odeum to win the Thousand Guineas.
“I’d like to thank the Melbourne Racing Club and Racing Victoria for putting this race on and for the help they have given me,” Rotorua-born Walker said on Thursday.
The 39-year-old winner of more than 2000 races said a specialist recently told him his brain is ‘running at about 60 per cent’ and he said it was unclear when, or if, there will be further improvement.
It has been nearly 12 months since Walker suffered his head injury at the jumpouts at Pakenham.
“It’s not like doing a knee or breaking a bone when you have some sort of timeframe for your return,” he said. “With a brain injury, there often is no timeframe.”
The MRC said it wanted to celebrate the career of such a popular rider with the running of the Michael Walker Farewell Handicap (1100m).
“The Melbourne Racing Club and the Australian racing fraternity salutes Michael Walker and thanks him for his contribution to the sport. We wish Michael and his family a happy retirement and good health,” the MRC said.